When I awoke, the sun was just rising over the tall mountains. I quickly rose, knowing that I would have to catch up with the men in the village. They were early risers, mostly because they had been waking up early since they were born. A man was born a hunter, and a woman was born to sleep. Or, at least, that’s what my father had always told me. I was going to prove him wrong, though.
I walked over to him and my mother in their sleep and sighed. He didn’t seem so mean and hostile when he was asleep. And she, well, mother was always beautiful and kind, no matter what she was doing. I looked past my father and there, on the dirt floor next to him was his bow, and a stack of arrows were carefully inserted in his leather bag. I grabbed them and slung both over my shoulder, ready to hunt.
When I awoke in the cold shade of our wooden hut, I was cold. But, as soon as the morning sunrays hit my back, I could feel energy escaping into my body. In the distance, I could see male hunters heading off to the rising sun. But I knew better. Animals would want to travel towards light, and the last place they saw it was where it set. I turned and ran in the opposite direction of the hunters.
The forest was green and alive. I touched every leaf and blessed all flowers, assuring them that I was not there to harvest their lives. When I stroked a brown fern, I started to see its green reappearing. That’s what sunlight can do to you, I thought as I looked back towards the rising sun. My long black hair was caught in the bow for a moment, so I let out a howl.
I mentally cursed myself, realizing that it must have chased off game. I listened for a moment, and heard large breaths of air in my right ear. I whipped around. I was in a small empty circle, surrounded by thick trees, and in the distance, I could see a body of light colored fur, easily the same size of me. And I was a tall woman.
I looked around, searching for something to climb. But I was taking too long, and soon enough the large-toothed beast was circling me. I took my bow off my shoulder, very slowly, not wanting to show any sudden signs of movement, or he would.
I loaded an arrow and pointed towards the ground, readying myself to shoot the beast in the face as soon as it pounced.
But, when it was behind me, it looked off into the distance. I listened, too. I took my chance and hopped onto one of the trees I had previously blessed. Maybe it would save me.
I climbed up a few branches before the beast noticed that I was gone. He turned back to me and forced open his jaw, a loud and menacing growl streaming from it. I cringed, hoping that it hadn’t woken my father.
I climbed higher into the tree, not keeping an eye on the beast, who was now rounding the trunk, looking for the easiest way up.
When I looked back down, my biggest nightmares had come true. There were now four large-toothed beasts surrounding the tree. I closed my eyes and wished for a miracle. Sadly, none came.
I didn’t want to kill the beasts, trust me, I didn’t. But, I had set out to bring back a lavish animal pelt to show my father that he was wrong. So… why not bring back one – or four – from out biggest competitors?
I readied my bow and arrow once more and aimed at the largest beast’s head, just like I had been taught by Altsoba, our spiritual leader. Since I was young, she had told me that our tribe was nearing a time of great sorrow. She said that the warriors wouldn’t be enough, and that my tribe would need me with a bow and arrow. I tried to tell father this but he refused to believe it, and was firm with his opinion that Altsoba was growing old and weak, and that her mind could not process the thoughts of our Gods anymore.
He forbade me from handling a spear, let alone a bow.
But Altsoba could see that they would need me, and had been training me secretly for many moons. She told me that I must prove myself to father, and told me to hunt with the others, and bring back a pelt for his enjoyment.
I aimed below and shot the arrow. It landed right between the beasts two eyes.
I was adjusting my arrow to shoot at another one, but they ran away, crying with fear. I sighed, hoping one would be enough to impress father.
I slowly climbed down the tree, hoping that the beasts weren’t planning a surprise attack. When my naked feet touched the grassy forest floor, I gasped with fear. The beast… it was female.
I ran to its side and cried into its belly.
“I’m sorry Genesee!” I cried to our God, the God of the valley. I stroked the wild beast and cried in front it its open eyes. Genesee punished those who killed females. Female animals were gods in themselves. They preserved the life of the forest. Without female animals, there would be no babies. With no babies, there would be no food for us. That was bad. That was wrong. “I’m so sorry. Forgive me for stealing your child, Genesee.”
I looked down at the head and pulled out my arrow. Blood followed and covered up anything else escaping from its big head. I took some water from my pouch and poured it over the wound, washing away all the blood and chunks.
“Forgive me sister,” I said , continuing to let drops of water fall from my fingertips to the hole. Once the wound was cleaned, I had decided that I would not take the animal back with me. It was too sad of a loss, and killing a female animal would not show off my hunting skills, but rather my stupidity. I turned from it and walked back to camp to face my furious father.
“Ama!” I heard as soon as I stepped in the meadow where our village was set. I found it ironic that the only dirt in our village was that of where we slept.
I turned my head and saw Yareli running towards me, her arms in the air. Her brows were shaped in a peculiar and exhausting way. I tipped my head, puzzled by her expression.
“Ama!” she whispered when she reached me. She was extremely out of breath. How long had she made her short stubby legs run? “Ama, they cursed you!”
I gasped. “Who cursed me?”
“Your father,” she said, pointing towards the center of camp. I looked at the people of my village. All of them had either a bruise or a wound, some worse than others.
“What happened?” I begged Yareli to tell me.
She looked at the flower on the grass below that she was nudging with her toe. She sniffed, and I knew at that moment that something terrible had happened. “Where are mother and father?”
Yareli pointed towards our hut and I ran as fast as my long legs could carry me. I pounced into the hut, only to see my mother, her beautiful face stained with blood, lying on her bed. Father was by her side, holding her hand and praying to Genesee. I ran to her side and grabbed her other hand.
“Ama…” she stated. She said it in such a peculiar way. It was neither a question nor an exclamation. It was more of a push, like she had to push the words out from the bottom of her lungs.
“Mother, oh what happened?” I tried to say it as calmly as possible, but my words just tangled into one mess of worry.
“The Eastern Village came. They attacked.” Father didn’t look up from mother’s face.
“They attacked? Were we defeated?”
“Of course not,” father spat. “Have we ever lost to the Eastern Village? No. Because they’re stupid.”
“Why is mother hurt? More than the rest?”
Father looked at my shoulder, then at me. “Because when I went to get my bow when a blood thirsty Plain-Walker came through out door, it was gone. Because it’s on your shoulder.”
I stood, and so did father. “Now because of you, your mother is dying. Half of our village is dying. It’s all because of you.”
“Father-“
He started walking towards me, his fists clenched. I was being backed farther towards the door, and soon enough out of the hut.
Mother had mumbled something, but father ignored her. Once I was out, he started shouting. “You are cursed! You are not my daughter! You are the daughter of an evil spirit! Be gone! Leave here! Never come back.”
He backed me farther out of the village, and I was verbally tortured, more and more of my former friends turned to foes, and joined in father’s chants.
“You are an evil spirit!” some shouted. Other’s said simple things like “be gone” and “Leave here.” But the worst of all was “You were never blessed by Genesee. You are as bad as those of the Plain.”
I was at the edge of the meadow when a great shadow struck my head for a moment. Something large and loud landed in front of me, causing screams from everyone watching. I opened my flinching eyes to see the wolf that I had shot between the eyes staring back at me. Her body was in defense mode, towards the humans, but her face was soft and calm, assuring me that everyone would be alright. I looked at the spot of the wound, and only a small black scar lay on her white face. Impossible… right?
“Evil Spirit! Call away your animal!” shouted a villager. I looked to see who it was. Yareli was standing behind her father, who had called. I looked into Yareli’s small innocent brown eyes and frowned. She would be forced to grow in a village that would never grasp the full meaning of Genesee.
I stood and walked over to the wolf, bent down and stroked my hand on her warm fur, as I had when she was dying. When my fingers touched her scar, her fur stuck straight up, and her eyes became dilated. Something happened to me, too. I could hear her.
‘What are we waiting for? Genesee is waiting for you,’ she said, her tail moving impatiently.
“My people!” I shouted, trying to get them to calm down. But more and more men flooded into the field with their bows and arrows.
“You are not one of the people!” one man exclaimed as I stood from my crouch. The wolf bent down and growled at the foul creature of the same race as I.
“You’re right,” I said looking at my hands. Something was rushing wildly inside of them, but I couldn’t lay my finger on what. “I am Genesee’s child now. Like her,” I said, pointing to the wolf.
I looked towards my father, who, though furious of his wife’s death, was still curious. No one would ever know what I meant. Except for those who appreciated Genesee’s power.
“Be gone!” was the final straw.
“Come on, girl,” I said, looking down at the wolf.
I turned and walked towards the forest, through the gates from village to nature, from sane to mystical, from normal to magical.
Spoiler! :
Anyhow, on to the review as requested.
Ok, maybe not tastes, but you get the idea. You have a good amount now, but I really want to feel like I’m there. 
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